On Thursday December 1st, the Chicago Advanced Energy Group will be holding their next Stakeholder Breakfast event focused on Energy, Mobility, and Transportation in the Chicagoland area. Chicago Advanced Energy organizes quarterly stakeholder forums aimed at bringing together key thought leaders in the energy field in Chicago. The goal of these forums is to foster constructive dialogue and build connections in order to bring about equitable and tangible solutions in the field.

As the major transportation hub of the Midwest, Chicago acts as a bottleneck for rail, automotive, and air traffic. Focusing on streamlining these systems and integrating sustainability goals into their development will have a major effect on reducing overall emissions in the region. Some of the key goals highlighted by the Mayor’s office include expanding deployment of green fleet vehicles, concentrating development around transit stations to increase daily ridership, updating train and bus infrastructure to maximize energy efficiency, reducing congestion on toll ways, and making key upgrades at Chicago’s airports to maximize sustainability. Funding presents the largest barrier to achieving these goals, but by fostering discussion among industry leaders we hope to find best practices and cost saving solutions.

This quarter’s Stakeholder Breakfast will feature opening remarks from Steve Humes, a partner at Holland & Knight, followed by an excellent lineup of speakers including Hossam A. Gabbar from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Kate Tomford and Peter Ballard from the Chicago Transit Authority, Tom Murtha from CMAP, and finally Scott Bernstein, the President of Center for Neighborhood Technology.